CHAPTER XIX.
NEARING THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY.
Both Earl and Randy had heard from the miner Wodley that it was only oflate years that prospectors after gold in Alaska had had the daring toshoot the White Horse Rapids, of which even the Indians in their lightcanoes were afraid. Formerly white men had packed everything, even totheir boats, round the dangerous runs of water, a task which to themlooked herculean, when they gazed at the tall mountains, and at thecrooked trail Wodley pointed out.
After much talking by all hands, it was decided that Wodley's boatshould go through first, loaded down only with the mining tools, whichwould not suffer from getting wet. Wodley was at first going to take thetrip alone, leaving his wife and the other miners of the party to jointhe Portney crowd, but at the last moment Captain Zoss asked to beallowed to take a hand, and the offer was accepted.
The sail was taken from the _Buster_, as Wodley had named his craft, aheavy-set affair, built to stand some rough usage, and, each armed withan oar and a heavy pole, the two men shoved off from the rocky shore. Afew strokes sufficed to send them into the current, and fairly caught,the boat swung around and started on her mad career through the canyonof rocks and water and flying spray.
"She's off!" shouted Earl, and followed by Randy he sped alongshore andup to the edge of the canyon, where he might see what progress was made.But hardly had they reached a convenient spot when the _Buster_ shotalong far beneath them, and around a bend, and was hidden from view inthe midst of a whirlpool of waters that threatened each instant toingulf her.
"If she isn't smashed up before she reaches the end of the canyon, thenI'll miss my guess!" ejaculated Earl. "My, but how she did spin along!"
"Wodley ought to know what he's doing," answered Randy. "If she issmashed up, I hope he and the captain come out alive."
They returned to where the others had been left, and took up the heavypacks which had been assigned to them. All the things to be carried hadbeen equally divided among the men and the boys, and it was calculatedthat three trips would be necessary to move the outfits.
That day proved the hardest they had yet experienced, and by the time itwas dark both Randy and Earl felt as if their backs were broken andtheir feet, to use Earl's expression, "walked off." They had carriedone-third of their traps to a beautiful spot just at the head of theworst of the White Horse Rapids, which, it may be well to add here, aremany miles in extent.
Contrary to the expectation of the boys, Wodley and Captain Zoss hadbrought the _Buster_ through in safety. They had had only one alarm,just at the end of the canyon proper, when the boat had swung around ona hidden rock and shipped about half a barrel of water. They were wetto the skin, and this, along with the story they told, made Mrs. Wodleyinsist upon it that her husband allow the other men of the party tobring the _Wild Goose_ through, on the day following.
As Captain Zoss had made the trip once, it was decided that he and Earlshould take the next trip, while the others made another tramp over thetrail with more of the traps. They encamped at the White Horse Rapids,but started back toward Lake Marsh before sunrise.
"It's easy enough, Earl," said the captain, on embarking on the _WildGoose_. "All you've got to do is to keep your wits about you and youreyes on the rocks. Tie the pail fast to the seat, so it won't float awayif the boat gives too much of a lurch. If we have to bail any, you hadbetter do it."
They were soon on the way, out of the brightness of the early sunshineinto the gloom of the yawning canyon, which seemed to swallow them up.The roar of the waters between the rocks was deafening, and the flyingspray sent a shiver through Earl. Yet he stood to his post manfully,realizing that there was no turning back, now that the perilous trip wasonce begun.
"To the left shore!" roared Captain Zoss, presently, and Earl scarcelyheard him. The captain waved his elbow frantically, while using hispole, and Earl saw what was wanted. They were running close to somehalf-submerged rocks. A vigorous use of the pole, a slight grating whichmade the youth hold his breath, and that danger at least was past.
But more were ahead, and they grew thicker and thicker as the _WildGoose_ leaped, turned, and twisted, first in one mad current and thenanother. Swish! came a huge wave into the craft, nearly taking Earl fromhis feet. Then, before he could make up his mind whether to beginbailing or not, the boat slid up almost on her stern's end, and most ofthe water went flying forth. "Now for the left shore, and mind thechannel!" roared the captain, once more, and then the oars came intoplay, and on they bounded through a clear cut in the rocks not overtwenty-five feet wide. The cut at an end, the captain threw down his oarwith a deep breath of satisfaction.
"The wust on it's over," he announced. "Jest pole her along easy-likenow, and we'll be down to camp inside of half an hour."
The strain on the _Wild Goose_ had caused several of the seams to part,but it was decided to do nothing with these until after the worst of theWhite Horse Rapids had been passed. They must now take their crafts outof water and carry or ride them on rollers to the foot of the falls.
This was a job lasting several days, for both the _Wild Goose_ and the_Buster_ were heavy, and it took all the men in both parties to move oneboat at a time. But at last the greatest of the falls was passed, andthen it was decided to draw the boats along through what remained, andafter another hard day's labor they had the satisfaction of findingthemselves free from further obstacles, and encamped midway betweenTahkheena River and the head of Lake Labarge. That day was Sunday, andit was spent in perfect rest by all.
Thus far since the snow-squall on Lake Bennett, fine weather had favoredthem, but now Monday set in cloudy and threatening. As soon as breakfastwas over, the _Wild Goose_ was patched up and pitched over, and all ofthe outfit placed on board. The _Buster_ was already loaded, and withthe wind from the westward they tacked down the river and into LakeLabarge, a clear sheet of water, some twenty odd miles in length, andvarying from two to four miles in width. About midway from either end ofthe lake there was an island, and on this rocky shore they werecompelled to seek shelter about the middle of the afternoon, for thewind had increased to a good-sized blow, and to sail in such a boatwas, consequently, out of the question.
Both the _Wild Goose_ and the _Buster_ had hardly been drawn up out ofharm's way than it began to rain. Seeing this, all lost no time inpitching the tents and in building fires to keep warm, for in thissection of Alaska a rain even in the summer is sure to make one feelcold. The tents were pegged down with extra care, and this was a goodthing, for by nightfall the wind had increased to a hurricane.
The travellers to the gold regions were stormbound at Lake Labarge fortwo days. It did not rain all this time, but the wind blew too stronglyto venture from shore. The time was spent inside the tent and hungrather heavily, although occasionally relieved by a song from thedoctor, or a yarn told by Captain Zoss, or Wodley, who, along with hiswife, and Crimmins and Johnson, the other two miners, made themselvesquite at home with the Portney party.
"The wind has moderated at last!" said Randy, who was the first out onthe third morning. "Now let us make the most of the fine weather whileit lasts."
The others were more than willing, and the stove and camping outfit weretaken down to the _Wild Goose_ without delay. The Wodley party was alsostirring, but did not start until some time later on; and the twoparties did not see each other again until many a day later.
The journey to the end of Lake Labarge was quickly made, and theyentered the thirty-mile watercourse, at that time unnamed, whichconnects the lake with the Big Salmon and the Lewes rivers. Randy andEarl were in charge, the men taking it easy over their pipes, for thecaptain was an inveterate smoker, and Mr. Portney and the doctorindulged occasionally in the weed.
A good many miles had been covered, when Earl, happening to glance athis pocket compass, announced that they were sailing almost duesouthward. "And that can't be right," he said to Randy. "We ought to beheaded for the northwest."
"Well, we're on the river all right
," answered Randy. Nevertheless, hespoke to his uncle about it, who at once consulted his pocket map.
"I'll tell you what you've done," he announced presently. "Instead ofsticking to the river that flows northward, you have turned into theTeslin, which flows to the south. Swing the _Wild Goose_ around atonce."
Much crestfallen over their mistake, the boys did as requested. They hadto go back nearly four miles, as they calculated, before they saw theopening which had previously escaped their notice. But once right, theyfound the wind directly in their favor, and with the sail set to itsfullest, they bowled along until the Big Salmon was reached, and theyswept into the broad waters of the Lewes River.
"And now for the Yukon and the gold regions!" cried Dr. Barwaithe. "Howmuch further have we to go?" he questioned, turning to Foster Portney.
"About three hundred and fifty miles," was the answer. "And with theexception of the Rink and Five Finger rapids, which don't amount tomuch, so I have heard, we'll have straight sailing. Ten days more oughtto see us at Dawson City, ready to stake our claims."